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Improving Question-Asking Initiations in Young Children with Autism Using Pivotal Response Treatment

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Abstract

Social initiations make up a core deficit for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In particular, initiated questions during social interactions are often minimal or absent in this population. In the context of a multiple baseline design, the efficacy of using the motivational procedures of Pivotal Response Treatment to increase social question-asking for three young children with autism was assessed. Results indicated that participants initiated a greater number of targeted questions following intervention. Additionally, all children exhibited increases in initiation of untargeted questions during social interaction in novel settings. Furthermore, post intervention data revealed collateral gains in communication and adaptive behavior. Theoretical implications of incorporating motivational strategies into intervention to improve social initiations in young children with ASD are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by NIH Grant Award Number R34 DC010924 from NIDCD (PI: R. Koegel). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health. We would like to express our greatest appreciation to the families and children for their dedication to participate in this study. We would also like to thank Crystal Carrillo, Whitney Detar, and Emily Lydston for their significant contribution to the completion of this research study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology Department, Koegel Autism Center, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9490, USA

    Robert L. Koegel, Jessica L. Bradshaw, Kristen Ashbaugh & Lynn Kern Koegel

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  1. Robert L. Koegel
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  2. Jessica L. Bradshaw
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  3. Kristen Ashbaugh
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  4. Lynn Kern Koegel
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Correspondence to Robert L. Koegel or Jessica L. Bradshaw.

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Lynn Kern Koegel and Robert L. Koegel are partners in the private firm, Koegel Autism Consultants, LLC.

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Koegel, R.L., Bradshaw, J.L., Ashbaugh, K. et al. Improving Question-Asking Initiations in Young Children with Autism Using Pivotal Response Treatment. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 816–827 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1932-6

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